Band of Misfits
by WonderlandChesh
Summary: 10,000 people were trapped in the death game known as Sword Art Online. Raeze, a beta tester and avid info broker, worked to make sure everyone had access to the same amount of information or knew where to get it. Its hard to continue living life when around every corner is the threat of death.
1. Prologue

**11:58 p.m. July 31, 2022**

A young, short girl sat in a dark room with her hair messily thrown into a bun, shaking her leg in anticipation. She had her head resting on her right hand, seated on the edge of her high backed, wheeled chair, constantly refreshing the web page she was on to be sure she would get a spot. One thousand people would get the chance to beta test Sword Art Online. Millions of people were eagerly trying just as hard as she was to obtain one of those spots. Reading over the sites promotional ads for the hundredth time, she refreshed the page once more. During this time, her clock flipped to 12:00 a.m., and the site changed. A form popped up and the girl launched forward, closing the little distance she had created from leaning forward in her rolling chair, no longer bouncing her leg. Her body was filled with tension as she quickly filled out the form. She checked all of her information over for possible errors, quickly mashing the send button.

The site showed a pop up, 'Thank you for your submission! We greatly appreciate your help with testing out the Beta version of Sword Art Online. You will receive an email with confirmation or rejection. IF you are accepted, more details will follow!'

The girl sighed as the tension in her body released. She at least got her submission in, and now she just had to play the waiting game.

"Saku! Are you awake? I had a nightmare!" A soft, sleepy voice called from outside her bedroom door. She slid her chair across the wooden floor, cracking her door open. Her 5 year old sister stood in yellow, bunny printed footie pajamas, with a blanket in one hand and the other wiping at a stray tear. Sakura sighed and opened the door further for her sister to climb into her lap. She closed her door to a crack, slid her chair back to the computer to put it in sleep mode, then picked up her sister and laid her down in her bed. Sakura hung her pink, cotton robe on the back of her computer chair and proceeded to crawl into bed next to her baby sister. She quickly fell asleep, not realizing how tired she truly was, and dreamt of the possibilities of SAO.

* * *

 **3:45 p.m. August 06, 2022**

Sakura burst through the front door, quickly kicking off her shoes and setting them in their proper place. Sliding through the entry hallway, she made a beeline for the kitchen. Just as she expected, her little sister was sitting in her chair at the table. Kicking her short legs in anticipation, the young girl hopped up in excitement, "Saku! Your package here!" She nearly screamed at her sister.

"Mei, calm down!," was all Sakura could utter as she snatched the large box from Mei. As she began ripping into the cardboard box, the girls' mother walked into the kitchen with her strawberry blonde hair pulled up into a messy bun. She was clothed in cotton, orange shorts that had obvious bleach stains and an oversized dingy white tee.

"Oh Sakura, you're home. Could you.. Mei please calm down." She sighed and wiped a trail of sweat from her brow. She returned her attention to her older daughter, "Would you mind helping me before dinner? You may play your game after dinner."

Sakura's excitement faltered for a moment, but it returned as she gladly pulled her own hair up into a ponytail. "Of course mom! You need the bathroom window opened again?" Even though her mother was healthy, she had problems with the old windows of their house.

"Oh would you dear? Your father would do it, but he's been working such long hours lately. I get my cleaning tasks done before he ever gets home nowadays." Her mother sighed in relief. "It gets so hot in there and I just don't have the strength to lift it open," she chuckled to herself.

Mei squealed and hopped off the floor. "I help too!" She screamed as she skittered off to the bathroom. Sakura shook her head at her younger sister and made her way around Mei's dangerous maze of toys, and to the bathroom.

Her mother was right, the bathroom did get hot and congested of cleaning fumes. Sakura grunted as she unhooked the old twist lock on the window and shoved up with all of her might. The window didn't even budge. Sakura glared at it as Mei continued saying she was helping. With a deep inhale, Sakura shoved her entire 152 centimeter body up and thankfully the window went with her. All three girls sighed as fresh air broke into the fumes and heat in the bathroom.

Her mom kissed Sakura's head, "Thank you darling, now shoo while I finish in here. Go pull out something for dinner and be sure to set the table by 5 o'clock." Sakura nodded in understanding and Mei nodded to follow her sister.

Once the girls made their way out of the bathroom, Sakura dashed back to the kitchen. She pulled out some ground pork, filled up the sink with lukewarm water, then placed the frozen block into the par filled sink. Then, she turned toward the slightly opened box that was calling her name.

"Saku! I wanna see! What's in there? Is it cool?" Mei continued to whine as Sakura carefully proceeded opening the box so she didn't damage anything. Sakura sighed once the box was opened and leaned to look inside. A dark grey helmet sat nestled snugly in the box with a game case slid in beside it. Sakura slid the NerveGear out of the box, set it on the table, and pulled out the booklet that was laying in the bottom of the box. It had NerveGear printed on the front, it was a "how to" guide. She flipped through it, reading through the information she felt was important. On the back page Sakura saw that someone had hand written a note, it read:

" _Congratulations on being accepted to participate in the beta test of Sword Art Online. You are on the first step of making this a worldwide phenomenon. I personally look forward to hearing any and all feedback from you. Feel free to contact us so we can fix anything you may find. Once again, Congratulations._

 _-Kayaba Akihiko"_

Sakura nearly screamed in delight, she had looked up to Kayaba for so long. Now she had a personal message from him. Even though she knew it went out to all of the beta testers, she couldn't help but feel special.  
Mei looked at her sister due to the half choked sound that made its way out of her. "What's wrong Saku?," she said tilting her head in confusion.

Instead of answering her sister, Sakura screamed in excitement, "MOM! Akihiko Kayaba sent a personal message with the NerveGear!" She dashed to the bathroom and shoved the thin booklet at her mother.  
Her mother put down the rag she was wiping their mirror with and sat down on the closed toilet before taking the booklet from Sakura. She read over the paragraph before replying, "Well dear, this is wonderful. I am extremely happy for you." She gave a smile in her usual polite way, though it showed some wear from cleaning all day.

Sakura continued to beam as she took the booklet from her mother's outstretched hand and properly made her way back to the kitchen. As she began packing it all back into the box to be taken to her room, her mother appeared from the bathroom and began washing her hands to prepare dinner. Mei hopped onto a stool to "help" as she did every night and Sakura retreated with the box to her room.  
Sakura pulled out the NerveGear once more and laid it on her bed. She quickly pulled out the disk case and cords to begin any downloads that may be necessary once she put the game in her computer. Once she was finished hooking everything together, Sakura inserted the disk and let the game boot. A screen immediately popped up, prompting her to put on the NerveGear. Groaning she looked at the time, 4:45 p.m., giving her only 15 minutes to do anything.

After spending a few moments contemplating, Sakura got up from her chair and put the NerveGear on. A screen popped up simply stating that she had to audibly say, "Link start," in order to begin the game.  
Sakura was giddy and her voice wavered, "L-link START!"

She felt herself get sucked away and then there she was, in a vast area, with a white floor. She remembered the pamphlet saying something about a calibration test that would have to be done before starting the game. A notification popped up in front of her. She raised her left hand and tapped the area. The notification opened in a jingle showing a message that read:

"This is the calibration mode, please follow each step carefully before moving onto the next item on the list."

Sakura tapped the blue button to continue to the next step.

"Please select your gender."

Sakura tapped the pink female silhouette.

"Please select your height."

She tapped the box, bringing a drop down menu, so she could input her natural height.

"Please take five steps to the left, turn around, and then five steps to the right."

Sakura followed the instructions.

"Jump in place five times."

Sakura once again followed the prompt. She also ran a small distance, crouched, stretched, made multiple facial expressions and head movements, and patted her body with cupped hands. When she got to her feminine parts she hesitated, 'Do I really need to do this?' She questioned herself, then proceeded through trying to finish that part quickly. Once calibration was completed she was free to begin creating her , not sure how long the calibration had taken her, she logged off in order to go set the table for dinner.

Sakura pulled the NerveGear off and gently set it in her chair and dashed out of the room. In the kitchen she found her father had just gotten home, and the clock safely read, 5:02 p.m. Sakura sighed, at least she didn't mess up and miss her task. Her mother was nearly done with dinner, she had made pork patties braised in a mushroom gravy, sautéed mixed vegetables, and steamed jasmine rice. Sakura sniffed the air, enjoying the scents that flowed around. She grabbed utensils for everyone, laying napkins down before placing the chopsticks on the table. She adjusted each cushion before sitting down at the table and crossing her legs. Mei sat in her usual seat beside Sakura and their father sat across from them.

Sakura realized that she had forgotten drinks for everyone and quickly hopped up. She retrieved the teapot from the stove and some cups from the cabinet. She carefully made her way back to the table, setting the cups down softly. She then began to pour the tea out, starting with her father, then mother, Mei, and lastly herself. Once finished, she set the pot on a trivet on the table for everyone to refill their cups as needed.  
Sakura's mother laid out plates in order as well, except she served herself last. The family gave thanks for their meal, then began to eat. Her mom softly tells her father about her day in between bites, him occasionally smiling to encourage her. Sakura's father was a chief doctor at Osaka Central Hospital and liked to keep his work away from home. He didn't think his daughters needed to hear about all the bad things that he dealt with.

Once her mother was done with her day's events, Sakura's father looked at her, "How was school?" He lifted his rice bowl and began eating some of it.

"School was the same as always. I aced my test that I had and got all of my homework done before coming home. I knew my game would be here today!" Sakura tried to remain calm, but her parents knew how exciting this was for her.

"Yes, your mother said something of the sort during my break this morning. Have you gotten very far?" He wasn't really that interested, but he knew talking about it made her happy, so he obliged.

"Actually, I just got the calibration done. Once I have free time tonight, I plan to create my avatar!" Sakura set her rice bowl down, seeing as she had finished it.

"Make sure you help your mother clear the table and help Mei to bed, then your night can be free." He smiled. She usually had to help her mother clean the dishes, straighten up the house, and help Mei to bed.

"Really? You mean it?!" Sakura looked back and forth between her parents, who simply nodded to her. "Thank you so much!" Her excitement got a little out of hand once again.

Soon, the entire family was done eating and they spent a few more minutes relaxing and talking about their day. The girls' mother was the first to rise, as she gathered everyone's plates and bowls. Sakura got up next to gather cups, utensils, and the teapot. She neatly stacked the items in the sink and got a towel to wipe the table down. Then she held her hand out to Mei, who sleepily took it, and bowed to her parents.

Mei rubbed at her eyes with her free hand and stumbled along beside Sakura. In the bathroom Sakura sat Mei on the closed toilet and began to wipe her face and hands to rid them of food. She nicely and quickly brushed her sister's mid-back length hair and braided it into pigtails. Mei didn't utter a peep, as she was used to it by now, seeing as the girls set up a bedtime routine. Once her hair was done, Mei hopped off the toilet and climbed onto the stool in front of the sink. Sakura pulled down their toothbrushes and squeezed some toothpaste onto them after running them under the water for a moment. The girls brushed their teeth in silence, Mei yawning a few times. Mei spit out her toothpaste and handed her brush to Sakura, who repeated her gesture, rinsed the brushes and put them away. She wiped Mei's mouth free of any residual paste, the last part of their routine was to have Mei actually use the toilet. Who chose to finally begin to protest, "Saku I don't have to potty," Mei whined.

"Mei, I tell you every night, and I'll tell you tonight. Big girls go potty before bed. I do it, mommy does it, even daddy does it." She lifted Mei onto the toilet. Mei crouched forward so she didn't loose her balance and looked curiously at Sakura.

"So daddy is a big girl?" She asked not quite understanding her sister. "Of course! We're all big girls." Sakura gestured grandly, making Mei giggle.

Once she was done, she wiped and hopped off the toilet allowing Sakura to pull her pull-up up.

Sakura grabbed her sister's hand and guided her to her bedroom, changed her into a nightgown and laid her down. "I love you darling! Don't let the bed bugs bite," She sent little pinches down her sisters side then kissed her and covered her up to her chin with blankets. Sakura quietly left Mei's room, closed the door to a crack and ran back to the kitchen. She said goodnight to her parents, thanked them once again, and then was off to her room.

Sakura re-read the instruction booklet once more to see what her next step was. It explained that once the calibration was done, she would need to lay in a comfortable area to begin the game. She would have to go onto the beta tester's forum and see how other people did theirs. So, Sakura changed into a tank top with matching underwear, slid on her pink cotton robe, and sat down on her bed. She pulled her legs up and twisted her body, leaning over and grabbing the NerveGear helmet. She slid it comfortably onto her head and laid down.

"Link Start!" Speaking confidently, Sakura was pulled into the digital world.

When everything was pulled into focus she was in a simple room that had rough wooden floors and walls, with no windows or doors. The room had a floor length mirror leaned up against the wall and a plain wardrobe with one door slightly ajar.

Sakura looked down at herself seeing more tanned skin than her usual, a simplistic pair of white underwear, and a white sports bra. She felt hair caress her shoulders, which she grabbed and looked at, noticing the bronze coloration. When she walked up to the mirror, she saw the base design for the female avatar.

Sakura grimaced at the plain body, swiping her hand from shoulder height downward, she brought up her menu and chose to start designing her head first. Once done, she moved onto the body of her avatar, seeming to breeze straight through. Her final character, was much paler than the original base model, quite a bit shorter, but the body design stayed roughly the same. She was clothed in simple, black capris, a flowy light blue blouse, black leather boots and gloves, and a long black hooded cloak.

She allowed the game to take her through a tutorial phase when a table materialized into the room with miscellaneous items gathered on it. Once done with the tutorial, Sakura was prompted to input a username.  
She input; RAEZE, then tapped to use the teleport crystal to; TOWN OF BEGINNINGS- PLAZA.

* * *

 **3:45 p.m. August 06, 2022**

A tall, lanky male shuffled around a local grocery store, carrying crates from a small box-truck into the store. He appeared to have something important on his mind, causing him to ignore people more than he normally would. However, he continued to dutifully unload product. An older woman appeared in the opening of the store's double sliding doors.

"Tamaki? Have you gotten the invoice yet? I need to see if we remembered to order something," she called, smiling wearily at her son.

Tamaki turned from inside the back of the truck and dusted his hands off on his white waist apron. Walking toward to front of the truck he bent down, bracing a hand on the floor of the truck and hopped out. Stretching to full height, he grabbed the clipboard that was strapped on the inside wall of the truck, in easy reaching distance from the ground, and handed it to her. "Since I did the order this week, I might be able to tell you without you having to search for it."

"Well, I don't remember telling you to order some self-rising flour. See, Mrs. Uta has been calling since we opened this morning to see if we had any." She thumbed through the paperwork.

"I'm pretty sure I've already taken that into the store. Hold up a sec mom!" Tamaki dashed into the store.

Tamaki's mom set the clipboard down on the tail end of the truck and sat down on a large crate, giving her feet a short break. A slight breeze blew through the area, lifting some of the stray hairs falling from her bun and cooling the sweat on the back of her neck, causing the woman to sigh.

When Tamaki returned, he was carrying a flat of self-rising flour, "Mrs. Uta is so impatient. But yes, we have them. Would you like me to deliver a few to her?" He chuckled, Tamaki saw how constantly tired his mom was beginning to look. He added in the last sentence to take some of the burden.

"Let me call her and let her know we do have it in. Then she will probably request that we deliver it to her." She blew out a deeper sigh.

A young female cashier ran out the doors toward the pair. "Mrs. Oikawa, Mrs. Uta is on the phone again. She seems very agitated this time." The girl looked from Mrs. Oikawa to Tamaki, unsure of what she should do.  
Mrs. Oikawa stood up and nodded, "I'll take care of it Su, thank you." She headed into the store and picked up a phone by one of the registers. "Thank you for calling Oikawa General Store, Oikawa Yuniko speaking. How may I help you?"

As Yuniko dealt with the ever persistent Mrs. Uta, Tamaki took a moment to check the emails on his phone. With a sigh that could rival that of his mother's, Tamaki returned his phone to his pocket, then returned to his job of unloading the weekly stock truck.

The driver popped around the back of the truck, munching on a tuna salad sandwich topped with very crunchy lettuce, to see how he was faring. Tamaki had just finished wiping a sweat trail from his forehead so he could freely see and signed the paperwork agreeing that they had received all product and all in proper condition.

"Thanks Oikawa! See you next week!" The driver spoke through a mouth half full of food. Tamaki was normally very friendly with his truck guy, however, today wasn't faring the best news. He nodded and waved shortly in slight irritation with the guy's socially improper behavior.

* * *

 **8:00 a.m. November 01, 2022**

A consistent beeping was droning from a lit up screen. The male dropped his hand out of his bed and groped around for the cell. Groaning as he turned the light toward his face, Tamaki shut off the alarm. He tapped around the screen then frowned at his phone for a moment longer. He didn't bother to hide his irritation as he padded to the bathroom after tossing the phone onto his bed.

He brushed his shoulder length hair and pulled it into a low ponytail, then proceeded to return to his room. He shrugged on a plain grey t-shirt and yanked on a pair of black sweats. He opened his door to head downstairs and allowed a long breath to escape his lips. He knew he couldn't let his mom see how upset he was, with the breath, he left his issues at the top of the stairs.

Bouncing down the steps, he could hear his mother working her way around the kitchen.

"Morning mom," he smiled and kissed her on top of her head.

"Oh Tama, good morning sweetheart." She hugged her tall son with a large smile on her face. "Did you sleep well?" she questioned upon sitting at the table after placing the food.

"Yeah! Probably the best I've had," Tamaki smiled, picking at the food she had placed in front of him after he sat down.

"That's wonderful darling. I think I need to adjust the temperature a little lower, I just keep sweating at night," Mrs. Oikawa laughed nonchalantly.

Tamaki nodded, "I totally understand. It's been pretty warm for this time of year,"

After a few minutes of silence, the pair heard a timid knock at their door. Both jumped up and spoke at the same time. Tamaki, telling his mother that he had no problem getting the door. Then his mother, insisting that he finish his breakfast and let her get it. He naturally listened and sat back down.

Tamaki ate as quietly as possible, but he still failed to hear who was at the door, however, not from lack of trying. He sighed, giving up and finished his breakfast. He raised from his chair and placed his dishes in the sink and proceeded to rinse them. When he turned around, he saw his mother re-entering the kitchen.

"I'm sorry I took so long. Did you get plenty to eat son?" She questioned as she sat back down to finish her own meal.

"Yes ma'am. Thank you," He offered her a small bow and headed toward the stairs.

"Tamaki?" Mrs. Oikawa called from the kitchen, causing her son to retrace his steps.

"Yes ma'am?" He raised his eyebrows in question, leaning in the entryway.

"Would you please go to the store and gather a few items for Mrs. Uta? She has called again with another list of items she needs delivered."

Tamaki grumbled slightly, "That woman is so infuriating! Why must she treat us like her own personal delivery system?" His sudden outburst wasn't a shock to her because she just smiled softly.

"I know darling. Once you're done, please take the day off. You've earned it!"

Nodding, he padded to the door, slid on some shoes and a sweater, and headed out for the store.

* * *

 **9:00 a.m. November 01, 2022**

Tamaki reached up to the store's sliding doors and turned a knob to allow them to automatically open when sensing movement. Just then, his mother could be seen exiting her office in the back to head to the front of the store to do just as he had just done.

"Store is open mom!" He called to her, causing her to look up from her binder of paperwork.

She smiled brightly and then waved him off telling him to go home. He shook his head but smiled, hed just go home and wallow. Maybe see if he had enough in savings to order the game he so desperately wanted. 'It's probably all been sold out by now. There are so many others who are so easily able to wait for weeks for it.'

He made his way home, kicked off his shoes at the door and swung off the sweater that he had donned earlier. He ran upstairs hoping, if he had done his math correctly on the way home, that he actually did have enough for this game. Since he was home alone, he yanked off his t-shirt and upon entering his room, he threw it onto his bed. He went straight to his computer chair, logged onto his pc, then froze.

Tamaki realized that when he threw his shirt, it had landed on something on his bed. He slowly revolved in his chair to peek at his bed, where a large box was now situated. A gasp erupted from him as he toppled the chair in his rush to get to the box. He couldn't believe his eyes, there was a NerveGear sitting on his bed.

Tamaki scrambled off his bed and reached for his phone, he sent off a text to his mother.

 _Did you get me a NerveGear? There's one here on my bed!_

He sat anxiously bouncing his leg awaiting a response, in his haste he sent another text out.

 _Holy crap MOM! THERE'S A NERVEGEAR ON MY BED!_

After he hit send, a response made his phone ding and light up.

 _Haha, Have a wonderful day off. I can't wait to hear about your game. :)_

His excitement hit the brim after her response, he knew he would get to calibrate the NerveGear, set up his avatar, and run through the tutorials so he was ready for the launch that would happen in five days.

 _THANK YOU! I LOVE YOU! The official launch doesn't start until Nov. 6, but I can get everything set up and ready to go!_

Tamaki got the gear hooked up to his computer and the proper things installed. He laid down and slid the helmet on. "Link Start!"


	2. Chapter 1- The Fateful Meeting

**6:00 p.m. November 06, 2022  
Town of Beginnings  
RAEZE Lvl: 1  
**

Her breath escaped, rattling from her chest.

Kayaba had just disappeared after telling everyone who had entered SAO, that they were basically going to die. A short frame covered in a black cloak, looked around at everyone nearby. She watched the thousands as they openly panicked after he left, the barrier around the courtyard going with him. Feeling the panic rise in her throat, she weaved her way around to get out. She hadn't seen anyone that she knew, none of her friends from real life. Maybe some of them had died already. The girl's vision began to blur, she had to move. She knew the way out, so she ran. Her breath scraping its way out with every exhale, her ears pounding with every step, and her vision growing ever darker.

She stumbled over a fallen crate at the corner of a turn, waiting for the initial burn in her knees and palms. She looked at her palms, only to see some dirt from the ground. Her breath hitched and caught in her throat. 'My mom, Mei, my dad.' Her brain raced worrying about her family. 'What will they do?' Her tears began to fall, as she hid in the alleyway where she had fallen. She allowed the fear and pain to take ahold of her, if only for today. She would allow herself this.

* * *

 **6:00 p.m. November 06, 2022  
Town of Beginnings**  
 **WINIK Lvl: 1**

Once the barriers around the Beginnings courtyard were released, a tall lanky boy made his way around the groups of overreacting players. He knew he had to get out so he could think. He needed to figure out the little information he did have. As he walked into the main of the town, he saw NPCs milling about, along with a few players walking or running with a purpose.

His sandy blonde hair had fallen into his face, which he casually brushed away. A younger male was in a heated conversation with a taller redhead. He knew there would be a lot of friends trying to find and create alliances with friends. However, a dark flash of a black cloak caught his eye. He watched the figure move quickly, with their head ducked, around things and obstacles. As if they had been there, many times before.

His mind automatically went to beta tester. This figure might be able to help him. As he jogged behind to get closer, he watched the figure fall. 'Maybe not. Just lucky, up until now.' He began to walk away until he heard a quiet gasping sob escape the figure.

He looked around, not knowing what to do. He wasn't good with girls, which he assumed it was from the tone of the cries. 'Maybe she ran so as to hide this from others.' He couldn't decide whether he sensed strength or weakness from the act. He decided to back away slowly and go to find an inn. He needed room and time to think. He would find out more information in the next coming days.

Though, he knew he couldn't stay in the Town of Beginnings forever. He had to get out. He needed to get back to his mom.

* * *

 **9: 15 a.m. November 25, 2022**  
 **Town of Beginnings**  
 **RAEZE Lvl: 7**

Almost three weeks had passed, as many players milled around the Town of Beginnings. Some beta testers openly came out and offered assistance to first time players. Many people worked on leveling up as fast as possible, others were too scared to even leave their rooms, and any that were left moved on to other towns.

Two hooded figures were seated on a bench, both seemingly ignoring the other. The black hooded figured gazed at the fountain, while the brown hooded figure appeared to be reading a letter. Everyone passing didn't show the pair any attention.

"Look, I've been working on some skills. Any information that we exchange is and will be confirmed before being passed along. There is certain information that everyone deserves access to. We both know that."

The brown hooded figure lifted their head to look at the sky, the sun giving glimpse away to three small whisker marks that adorned each cheek. "I get that, and I agree. However, the information needs to be compiled all in one area. We need to create a manual of sorts. Like your very special book that you still hold so tight." The girl smirked. Knowing she would catch a small nerve.

"Well, I'm sorry I cant keep all that information in my head. It's easier to compile on paper. Very few people know about that book, and I'd like to keep it that way. You can release and compile the information for people. Take credit for it. I don't care. But leave my book out of it. Tell anyone, and my help will end." The black hooded figure snipped back.

The pair was matched in many ways. Both beta testers, info brokers, liked to stay hidden. "Look Raeze, I would never tell someone something like that. If the wrong person heard about that." She paused momentarily. "I won't risk getting someone killed. Let alone someone who might someday be a friend."

Raeze smiled softly under her hood. "That's good to know Argo. I found out some information though. About a raid party. People are actually going to look for the first floor boss. Tolbana is the town to be in. I'll be headed there tomorrow. I can message you if I hear any more."

Argo smiled and nodded. "I already have manuals ready to go. I'll keep my ear down for some further info and pass it along to you if I hear before I hear from you. Maybe take some to Horunka and Tolbana. They're of course free. But more specialized information is to paid for in some way."

Raeze chuckled, " Of course. That's the broker way. Seems you hoped I wouldn't have a problem with you giving my information out to the world."

"I knew you wouldn't, who do you think would be the first to figure out you were the one doing the PSAs on the town boards? I would've been the only who could figure it out." Argo openly laughed at the shock on Raeze's face. "Don't worry, no one else knows. But not everyone checks those. That's why this manual idea is key." Argo swiped the air to bring up her menu, summoning a rather large pile of pamphlets labeled; SAO Strategy Guide. "See you around Raeze. Look forward to our next tryst." Her gravelly laugh echoed around as she walked away.

With a heavy sigh, Raeze gathered up the rather large pile of pamphlets and tapped them to bring up the menu. She hit the blue circle to put them away, save for 5. The first of which, she left sitting right on the bench that she had recently vacated. She headed to an NPC booth and 'accidentally' dropped one off there, made her way around the crowded square and popped her head into one of the inns leaving one on the front table. She kept her head down and strained to pick out voices around her, after leaving the inn. The listening skill activated from her doing so, she picked up a pair of young girls whispering not far from her.

"This is beyond ridiculous. The guys around here are scumbags! Half of them were dressed as females when we got caught in the courtyard and the other half expect us to be their arm candy! Like, I'm sorry that I'm cute and like to play video games." Raeze snorted softly, 'Just some of the popular type girls, nothing important here.'

"But Cere, they're not all that bad. Haven't you met the cute blonde boy who's been traveling between the towns. They say he isn't a beta tester, but he's been around a time or two with mmorpgs before. Not to mention, he's super sweet and he helps train newbies. I hear he will be near Tolbana tomorrow. He's going to help a group go through a quest there."

The one girl, Cere, snorted, "I'm sure he's just like the others." She brushed her bright red, ringlet curled hair off her bare shoulder. "Look Virita, just because a guy is nice at first doesn't mean a thing. He will eventually show his true colors." Virita looked down, her round glasses sliding ever so slightly down her nose.

"Maybe he won't," Virita suggested, "Maybe we could ask for his help so we could actually get out of this lame town." She peeked up at her friend, her eyes begging her to allow this.

Cere sighed a very dramatic and elongated sigh. "Fine. Only because you're my best friend. What is his name? And how do we even get ahold of him?" Cere put her hands on her hips, demanding this information from her friend.

"Er.. we have to find him. Like, seek him out for his help. I think he's named Winik" Virita looked at her voluptuous fiery friend nervously.

"You're not serious!? We have to find HIM?! We cant even keep ourselves safe right now! We'll die if we have to go find him! We need to find one of those rats to go get him for us." Cere paused, thinking. "Or maybe get another boy to go find him for us. Maybe not have to pay that way." Her answering smirk was enough. She had figured out her way.

Raeze figured she had heard enough, so she stood from her crouched position and walked past the wall they stood by. The girls continued to converse, however their conversation quickly changed to how to convince some random guy to do their bidding. As she walked past the girls, she inconspicuously let another guide fall from her hand and flutter out from her cloak onto the ground. Reaching her left hand up and swiping her menu open, Raeze moved until she pulled up a private message window with Argo.

 _Have you heard of a Winik?_ _Please respond ASAP  
_ _R_

She exited her menu and continued walking. "Hey! You dropped this!" The girl with glasses, Virita, was chasing after Raeze. "Hey," Once she finally had caught up with her, she bent over and rested her hands on her knees to catch her breath. Panting, she held up the guide. "My friend and I saw this flutter from your coat. We thought you would need it." She straightened her body and smiled politely down to the very short Raeze.

"Oh, are you sure? I haven't had mine out for a while, I don't know how I would have lost it." She dropped her hood to reveal raven dark hair, piled atop her head in a braided knot. She swiped for her menu and scrolled until she found 'her guide' and tapped to bring it out. "See, I still have mine. Why don't you keep that. It is pretty useful." She feigned her most sincere smile, having hated girls like Cere in school. However, her morals still stood. It was information everyone deserved.

Virita looked confused for a moment and glanced back at Cere, who stomped forward. "Look, you can't just drop your trash and expect everyone else to pick up after you." She sneered down, looming a good 30 centimeters over Raeze.

Raeze injected some sickly poison into her next, very carefully chosen words. "Oh my, Im sincerely sorry but you must be mistaken. See," She waved the guide she pulled out, "I already have one, so that couldn't be mine."

Cere was about to respond, only what could have been guessed as a long winded reply from the large intake of breath. Until Raeze noticed from her HUD, the mail icon blinking. This obviously distracted her as she interrupted Cere, before she began. "Look ladies, Im sorry however, I must be going. I hope that guide helps you as much as it has helped me." In her haste, she didn't even truly say goodbye. She ran off to gain as much ground between her and those girls as possible.

Tapping on the icon, she brought up her messages and opened up her most recent.

 _He is being talked about. Do you need your own info, or is someone buying it?  
_ _=^.^=Argo the Rat_

Raeze quickly typed back.

 _Apparently he is an up and coming resident nice boy. Helping newbies and already working around Tolbana. Is he worth checking out?  
_ _R_

Raeze found an empty bench on the outskirts of town. She had a feeling she would be needing to make a trip to Tolbana. The reply came quickly.

 _I hear he is looking for a buyer for the Anneal Blade. Maybe you could find it in your heart to help?  
_ _I didn't know you needed some arm candy. I thought info brokers liked to work alone.  
_ _=^.^= Argo the Rat_

Raeze couldn't help but roll her eyes. She didn't care how cute he was, she just cared what information he could give her. She had already learned that not everything was the same from the beta test.

 _Haha, very funny. You know why I'm interested. However, maybe on the way there I could find a prospective buyer. Thanks for the info. What do I owe?  
_ _R_

The reply was almost instant.

 _Oh Rae, I'll put it on tab.  
_ _=^.^= Argo the Rat_

Nodding to herself, Raeze stood from the bench and set off to Tolbana.

* * *

 **4:00 p.m. December 01, 2022**  
 **Tolbana**  
 **RAEZE Lvl: 10**

Raeze made it to Tolbana in record time. She entered the town and headed straight to the town center, to find the message board. She scanned it, figuring out if she could find anything from this Winik guy. Instead, she saw a notice for a meeting to search for the boss room.

She sent a quick message to Argo, letting her know the information. She then headed to an inn to get a small nap and organize her stuff for the meeting. As she opened the door, a small bell chimed overhead.

"Welcome! How may I help you?" An NPC innkeep smiled from the front desk. Opening her menu, she exchanged some col for a simple room. "Thank you! Have a wonderful stay!"

Raeze nodded and headed to her room. 'Maybe I'll get to view this guy at the meeting. See what information I can glean from these players. Maybe I can snoop around the inn and see if anyone will be having any obnoxiously loud conversations.' She sat down on the bed and began scrolling down her menu. 'Or I could spend some time in one of the bars.' Sighing she removed most of her gear, and began unwinding her long straight raven hair. "I did say I would take a small nap." She hadn't actually slept much during her trip. She didn't trust others to keep away from her sleeping form.

An incoming message a few hours later jolted Raeze from her slumber. With a yawn, she rubbed her eyes and opened the message.

 _I hear your boy is there. You should run into him. Good luck ;) See you tomorrow  
_ _=^.^= Argo the Rat_

She thanked her for the reply and got up to get dressed. Instead of her usual attire, she donned something a little more feminine. She had learned that she tended to get better information that way, from males and females. The skirt was a gold that matched the trim on her top, which an off the shoulder, light blue gathered top. There was a white, halter type turtleneck bodysuit underneath that cut in on the sides. She also added an under breast plate just in case something bad happened. Lastly she threw on some darker blue arm sleeves that attached to the middle finger, simple metal wrist guards, and white thigh high boots trimmed in gold.

As for her hair, she pulled it back into the start of a low ponytail and began to twist it. She pulled it up to resemble a french twist and pinned it to let the remaining cascade down her back. It made her hair look much shorter than it actually was and it helped change her look enough that people couldn't easily recognise her from possible previous dealings.

Locking the door, she left her room and exited the inn. She knew how this outfit would make people react, however, she always cringed when it happened.

"Hey, cutie! Where ya goin'?" One larger guy yelled at her just as she had left. "Yeah! You can't be going anywhere important. Let us buy you a drink!" Another one called, muscular in nature.

Raeze suppressed an eye roll and giggled at the pair. "Oh I sure don't want to get in between your date!" She tossed a few coins at them as she passed. "But please, have a good night on me!" She winked at them and pranced off down the road. She didn't pay attention to their reactions but quickly entered the first bar that she came to.

"Have a toast on me! For helping with that quest." A male player was clapping another rather tall male on the back. He looked a little embarrassed and nervously scratched the back of his head.

"Look, you asked for my services. You paid me to help. It's nothing." The tall, lanky, green haired player's face had tinged in a blush.

"Come on, Sir Winik! You've been such a big help! I still want to buy you a drink." The male turned to a bar keep. "A pint each for my friend and I, please." Then he passed over some col. The gentleman behind the bar nodded and two pints materialized in front of the pair.

Raeze raised her eyebrow at the male that was called Winik. She made quick notes of a few things as she made her way to the bar, catching the attention of quite a few people.

First thing she noticed, was his dark forest green hair. She didn't recognise him from the beta, but she didn't know of anyone who knew about the spot to find the item to change hair color. She made a note to ask Argo if anyone had requested the information from her.

Secondly, his facial features reminded her of someone she knew from the real world. She couldn't pinpoint exactly where, but she was willing to bet money that she knew him.

Third, she was careful to not openly recognise the fact that his eyes were upon her the moment she stepped in. He had continued to glance over at her periodically. Something she was able to continuously monitor between her multitude of admirers.

She kept a sweet open friendly smile on her face, but had anyone knew her they could tell that she was tired and getting irritable. However, this was one of the easiest ways to obtain a large amount of information. People were buzzing about the meeting that would be taking place the following day. Also, multiple people seemed inclined that she needed one of Argo's Guides. Raeze saw that Argo was keeping up well with the demand for this kind of general info, extremely happy that she could assist with that.

As the night got later and later, her smile began to falter more. Being around so many people wore her out rather quickly. Luckily, most people in the bar began to head out. "Good night, Kyo! It was so nice to meet you!" Most females hugged her, guys would look her up and down as if they wished they could take her to their rooms for the night.

Winik waited a few minutes before raising from his own seat. The pint had made the edges of his vision slightly blurry, but he was still in relative control of himself. He brightly approached the small statured girl. "Hello, Kyo? Did I hear that right?"

Raeze lifted her brow, her fake smile quickly plastering itself back onto her face. "Oh, hello! Yes, my name is Kyo." She made her eyes crinkle. "Can I ask yours?" She tilted her head toward him.

"The name's Winik. I have a proposition for you." He sat on a stool beside her and ordered some tea. "I've done a quest and have an item, maybe you'd like?"

Raeze looked at him in mock confusion. "You're trying to pawn a weak item off onto a girl? How rude."

Winik spewed out a little bit of his tea. "No! It's actually a rather strong sword, I just use an axe. It's of no use to me." He put his head down a little. "You also remind me of someone I know- knew, I guess." His brow furrowed, trying to find the right words. "Someone I had seen around town."

This piqued her interest, so she leaned toward him and rested a hand on his arm. This caused her to notice the actual muscles that lay underneath. In shock, she subtly removed her hand. "I'm sorry that I make you think of something so hard right now. However, I don't use a straight blade. I prefer the curved variety. Maybe I could help you find a buyer." This time her smile was genuine, causing him to smile in return. A flash of a face popped into Raeze's head. 'He looks so much like… no, it's not possible.'

"A buyer? How do you have that kind of connection?" He murmured in her direction.

"I have my ways. You make the call and I'll send out word. I just need to see the item." She fluttered her eyes at him, hoping to lower his guard.

"Uh, I don't think that should be done here. Are you..? Can we go somewhere?" Winik looked at her like he had just figured something out, his vision suddenly cleared.

Raeze's eyes narrowed at his tall profile. "I won't fall for a lure for you to just loot me. I'm alot stronger than I look."

"Oh I believe it. However, I have some questions and I don't think they should be asked here. They're… specialized." He chose his word usage very carefully.

Raeze recognized it too. Argo has spoken with him, she had met him and he had asked the right questions as far as how to figure a broker. There's a list of things we are to look for when talking with people. Telling a broker that you have 'specialized questions' is one way to easily get their attention.

Raeze looked at the time. Most people should be in bed at this time, so she nodded. She placed a small piece of paper onto the table and left the bar. All conversation ended at that point. Once out, she opened her menu and donned her cloak, then continued on her way to the inn.

Opening the door to the inn, the same bell was heard overhead. "Welcome! How may I help you?" Raeze went straight to her room and waited. During this time, she changed back into her capri length pants, flowy blouse, leather gloves and boots. She released her long hair from it's twist and proceeded to pull it up and braid it, wrapping it into a knot on top of her head. Just as she took a seat at the table in the room, a timid knock was heard at her door.


End file.
